The single largest wildfire in Nebraska state history has scorched the Cornhusker State, burning over 640,000 acres and killing one as the generational blaze continues to burn.
Across the state, hundreds of first responders are in action battling against multiple raging blazes as a historic fire outbreak explodes into a full-scale emergency, triggering evacuations while threatening life and property across impacted areas.
The historic wildfire, coined the Morrill Fire, was first discovered on the morning of March 13 and has since burned over 643,361 acres across a massive swath of western Nebraska, impacting Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith and Grant counties.
Though the official cause of the wildfire remains undetermined, Governor Jim Pillen stated that it was “electrical in nature,” as hundreds of firefighting personnel continue to battle the fire. As of Tuesday night, the blaze is 16% contained.
Amid what Gov. Pillen called “one of the worst natural disasters in Nebraska history,” crews continue to battle numerous wildfires that have killed at least one person.
The deadly fire claimed the life of a Nebraska grandmother, 86-year-old Rose White, of Arthur, who died trying to escape the raging wildfire, Gov. Pillen announced in a press conference on Saturday.
Gov. Pillen declared a state of emergency in response to the devastating wildfires across impacted areas, as high winds and low humidity fueled the explosion of the fire earlier this week, prompting evacuations in Nebraska and across state borders.
On top of hundreds of state and local fire departments and emergency response agencies combating the raging blaze, members of the Nebraska National Guard have been deployed to assist in combating the raging blazes.
“We are making progress, but the fight isn’t over. My thanks to all the firefighters, guardsmen, aviators and others who are tirelessly working the line, as well as everyone supporting them,” Gov. Pillen wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
Dangerous weather fuels wildfire frenzy
The historic Morrill Fire isn’t the only blaze burning across Nebraska as dangerous fire weather provided the necessary ingredients for a frenzy of fires across the state.
As the Morrill Fire burns across western Nebraska, the Cottonwood Fire poses a dangerous threat to south-central Nebraska.
First observed on March 15, the Cottonwood Fire has burned 131,259 acres and is 40% contained as of Tuesday night.
In total, over 800,000 acres have been scorched across Nebraska as numerous wildfires have burned across the state, with local and state officials working around the clock to contain the fires amid the unprecedented outbreak.
In the wake of the devastating fires have Gov. Pillen signed an executive order to provide emergency relief to farmers and ranchers that have had livestock feed and supplies “severely impacted.”
“Nebraska’s producers are facing a real need right now, and we have the responsibility to stand with our farmers and ranchers,” Gov. Pillen wrote on X.
Other notable fires in the dangerous outbreak include the Road 203 Fire, which has scorched more than 35,000 acres across Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine Counties in central Nebraska and was 76% contained as of Wednesday morning.
The Anderson Bridge Fire, which erupted March 12 in the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest, has burned 17,400 acres and is 60% contained.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Fire Management Assistance Grants to support response efforts for wildfires in Nebraska, along with additional fires across several Plains states. The funding is intended to help state and local authorities protect lives and property.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency received reports of 24 wildfires in 24 hours on Friday as dangerous weather concerns linger into the week.
Red flag warnings persist
Red Flag Warnings are in place across areas of western Nebraska through Wednesday and into Thursday as the fire threat persists.
According to the National Weather Service, a Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly.
A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
Despite strong winds developing as expected on Tuesday, neither the Merrill nor Cottonwood fires grew notably beyond their perimeters, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said.
With temperatures up to 80 degrees, wind gusts up to 30 mph and relative humidity as low as 17%, the ingredients for dangerous fire remain a concern as the historic wildfire outbreak continues to threaten the Great Plains.
With the Morrill Fire, at nearly 650,000 acres, and the Cottonwood Fire, over 120,000 acres, even marginal wind increases pose a significant risk to containment lines, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
In the heat of the threat, the U.S. Wildland and Fire Service listed a few steps to help prevent wildfires and protect your community:
- Check local fire restrictions.
- Avoid activities that could spark a fire on hot, dry or windy days.
- Properly extinguish your campfires, drown, stir and cold to the touch.
- Secure tow chains and keep your car tires fully inflated.
- If debris burning is permissible in your area, keep piles small and burn only under appropriate conditions.
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